Search

The Near Infrared Spectro-Photometer Optical assembly (NIOA) of EUCLID satellite requires high precision large lens holders with different lens materials, shapes and diameters. The aspherical lenses are glued into their separate CTE matched lens holder. The gluing of the lenses in their holder with 2K epoxy is selected as bonding process to minimize the stress in the lenses to achieve the required surface form error (SFE) performance (32nm) and lens position stability (±10μm) due to glue shrinkage. Adhesive shrinkage stress occurs during the glue curing at room temperature and operation in cryogenic temperatures, which might overstress the lens, cause performance loss, lens breakage or failure of the gluing interface. The selection of the suitable glue and required bonding parameters, design and qualification of the gluing interface, development and verification of the gluing process was a great challenge because of the low TRL and heritage of the bonding technology. The different material combinations (CaF2 to SS316L, LF5G15 and S-FTM16 to Titanium, SUPRASIL3001 to Invar M93), large diameter (168mm) and thin edge of the lenses, cryogenic nonoperational temperature (100K) and high performance accuracy of the lenses were the main design driver of the development. The different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) between lens and lens holder produce large local mechanical stress. As hygroscopic crystal calcium fluoride (CaF2) is very sensitive to moisture therefore an additional surface treatment of the gluing area is necessary. Extensive tests e.g glue handling and single lap shear tests are performed to select the suitable adhesive. Interface connection tests are performed to verify the feasibility of selected design (double pad design), injection channel, the roughness and treatment of the metal and lens interfaces, glue thickness, glue pad diameter and the gluing process. CTE and dynamic measurements of the glue, thermal cycling, damp- heat, connection shear and tension tests with all material combinations at RT and 100K are carried out to qualify the gluing interface. The gluing interface of the glued lenses in their mounts is also qualified with thermal cycling, 3D coordinate measurements before and after environmental tests, Polarimetry and vibration test of the lens assemblies. A multi-function double pad gluing tool and lens mounting tool is designed, manufactured and verified to meet the lens positioning and alignment performance of the lens in the holder which provides the possibility to glue lenses, filters, mirrors with different diameters, shapes and thickness with ±10μm accuracy in plane, out of plane and ±10 arcsec in tip/tilt with respect to the lens holder interface. The paper presents the glue interface qualification results, the qualification/verification methods, the developed ground support equipment and the gluing process of the EUCLID high precision large cryogenic lens mounts. Test results achieved in the test campaign demonstrate the suitability of the selected adhesive, glue pad design, interface parameters and the processes for the precise gluing of the lenses in lens holders for all lenses. The qualification models of the NIOA are successfully glued and qualified. The developed process can also be used for other glass materials e.g. MaF2 and optical black coated metallic surfaces.